The real reason people talk over you, and what to do about it

IT HAS happened to all of us. You're in the middle of an important point, or reaching the climax of a humorous anecdote, and someone butts ... × ByTealBurrell JohnHolcroft ITHAShappenedtoallofus.You’reinthemiddleofanimportantpoint,orreachingtheclimaxofahumorousanecdote,andsomeonebuttsrightin.Youmayjumpbackintofinishthestory,indignantlystammerafewmorewordsorquietlyfumewhiletheinterruptertakesthefloor,butthemomenthaspassed:youreloquentpointislost,yourstorygarbled. Mediareportstellusthatmenofteninterruptand“mansplain”thingstowomen–lastmonth,CanadianprimeministerJustinTrudeaugotunflatteringattentionfordoingso–andstereotypeswouldhaveusbelievethatpeoplefromsomecountriesaremorelikelytojumpinthanthosefromothers.Buttakeacloserlookathowinterruptionsplayoutandthingsaren’talwayswhattheyseem.Figureoutwhyandhowpeopleinterruptandyoumightfindyourselfmoreforgivingofthebigmouthwhostoleyourmomentorbetterplacedtoavoidithappeningagain. Let’sstartwiththeoft-citedfindingthatmenaremuchquickertointerruptandtalkoverwomenthantheotherwayround.Mediareportsaside,theoriginalresearchbackingupthisideacomesfromthe1970s.Itshowedthat,incovertlyrecordedconversationsbetweenmenandwomenintheUS,themencutin46outof48times.Anda2014studyfoundthatmenandwomenbothinterruptedwomenmorethantheydidmen. ButpsychologistAnnWeatherallatVictoriaUniversityofWellingtoninNewZealandsaystheearlystudiescountedalloverlappingspeech,skewingtheresults.“Sometimespeopleoverlapandit’snotinterruptiveatall,”she… Unlimitedaccesstonewscientist.comwithover30yearsofarchivecontent,200+sciencetalksandweeklyinteractiveCrosswordsTheNewScientistappincludingthecurrentissue,backissuesandallissuesofNewScientist:TheCollection Exclusiveaccesstosubscriber-onlyevents50+newarticlesaweekPLUSlistentoaudioversionsofNewScientistSUBSCRIBEANDSAVEPrinteditiondelivereddirecttoyourdooreachweekUnlimitedaccesstonewscientist.comwithover30yearsofarchivecontent,200+sciencetalksandweeklyinteractiveCrosswordsTheNewScientistappincludingthecurrentissue,backissuesandallissuesofNewScientist:TheCollection Exclusiveaccesstosubscriber-onlyevents50+newarticlesaweekPLUSlistentoaudioversionsofNewScientistSUBSCRIBEExistingsubscribers,pleaseloginwithyouremailaddresstolinkyouraccountaccess.PaidquarterlyInclusiveofapplicabletaxes(VAT) Advertisement Trending Latest Video Free ThemummyofEgyptianpharaohAmenhotepIhasbeendigitallyunwrapped Covid-19news:Boosteromicronprotectionwaneswithin10weeks HowMinecraftishelpingchildrenwithautismmakenewfriends DogsnoticewhencomputeranimationsviolateNewton’slawsofphysics HundredsofSalvadoransclaimmoneyisvanishingfrombitcoinaccounts Will2022betheyearwestarttakingonlineprivacyseriously? Dolphinsmaycommunicatebychangingthevolumeoftheirwhistles ThemummyofEgyptianpharaohAmenhotepIhasbeendigitallyunwrapped Howtheshimmeringsecretsofiridescencecouldkeepuscool Canyousolveourfestivefeastoffourlogicpuzzles? LaughterLabatLondon'sCartoonMuseumexploresthescienceofhumour Earlyexpeditionphotographsreveallong-termenvironmentalchange Watchbiobotsreplicatethemselvesinadish IsOlDoinyoLengaithestrangestvolcanointhesolarsystem? TheLeidenfrosteffect:Levitatingdropletsbounceoffeachother Dolphinsmaycommunicatebychangingthevolumeoftheirwhistles ThemummyofEgyptianpharaohAmenhotepIhasbeendigitallyunwrapped TheJamesWebbSpaceTelescopeisfinallyonitswayintoorbit LaughterLabatLondon'sCartoonMuseumexploresthescienceofhumour UKhasbegunusingdrugsforcovid-19casesbeforetheybecomesevere MOREFROMNEWSCIENTIST2021inreview:Taliban'stakeoverguttedscienceinAfghanistan Humans BeatlesdocumentaryGetBackusedcustomAItostripunwantedsound Technology WhytheUK’sboostercampaignmustn’tforgetthevaccinehesitant Health Covid-19news:Omicronisdangerousdespitelowerhospitalisationrisk Health